Cars to get costlier from Thursday

The top 13 cities in the country, including the Capital, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, will usher in the new emission norm -- Bharat Stage IV-- from tomorrow, as a result of which auto companies have decided to hike prices of their vehicles.

The rest of the country, which was scheduled to upgrade to Bharat Stage III, will however do so only in October this year, due to lack of supply of upgraded fuel. The new emission norms are being implemented following recommendations by the Mashelkar Committee.

With newer technology required, auto companies said they will have to pass on the increased cost to customers.

"We are hiking prices by up to 1.5 per cent across all our models. In value terms, it can be between Rs 600 and Rs 11,000," General Motors India Vice President P Balendran said.

The country's second largest carmaker Hyundai Motor India will raise the prices of their petrol-driven cars by up to 1.5 per cent, while it will be about 3 per cent in case of a diesel model, said the company's spokesperson.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Deputy Managing Director (Marketing) Sandeep Singh said the company will hike the prices by 1-3 per cent across various models.

The maximum price hike will be of Rs 15,000 for its utility vehicle Innova.

A Maruti Suzuki India spokesperson said the company will hike the prices when it will be "finalised".

"We are geared up with all the models for the new emission norms... We will announce the price increase at an appropriate time," a Tata Motors spokesperson said.

SkodaAuto India Senior General Manager (Sales and Network Development) Ashutosh Dixit said the company has not decided yet about the price hike.

Fiat India President and CEO Rajeev Kapoor said, "There will be a price hike, but not from tomorrow. We will announce it at the right time".

Last month, following the 2-per cent increase in the Budget in excise duty on all non-oil products to 10 per cent from 8 per cent, auto players had hiked prices by up to Rs 70,000.